The Benefits and Dangers of Hoarding Items in Animal Parade

Marimba Farm: Upgrade to Level 2 when you have shipped a total of 30,000G in Crops Upgrade to Level 3 when you have shipped a total of 80,000G in Crops, completed the Yellow Bell Quest and experienced introduction to Anissa Upgrade to Level 4 when you have shipped a total of 160,000G in Crops

Energy Recovery in Animal Parade

There is another source of Energy Recovery in Harvest Moon that does not require any monetary investment and does not involve Cooking. The Hot Springs that are found in most Harvest Moon games can restore all or almost all of your Energy when used, depending on your maximum Stamina.

Cooking in Animal Parade

In many Harvest Moon games, cooking or shipping Cooked Dishes can unlock some new options or bring rewards. As soon as Bo repaired the Garmon Mines District Bridge in my first game (Wednesday in the first week of Spring), I bought the Matches and began to use them rather lavishly. I bought Sar...

Unlocking New Options in Animal Parade

This is the key to most Harvest Moon and even Rune Factory Events and the key to unlocking new options in both series. If you do not experience a key Dialogue, often you cannot unlock a new Character or option. Coversation is important in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game for other reasons a...

Animal Parade First Day Walkthrough

Although there are no time limits for completing Quests and Tasks, making an effort to complete all the above in the first day will make your entire life easier. Energy is a priority always at the start of any Harvest Moon games. The items you find in the wilds do not recover much Stamina, but a G...

Animal Parade Calendar of Birthdays and Festivals

Summer Autumn 5 Autumn: Renee’s Birthday 6 Autumn: Craig’s Birthday 14 Autumn: Moon Festival 20 Autumn: Irene’s Birthday 21 Autumn: Julius’ Birthday 22 Autumn: Theodore’s Circus 24 Autumn: Maya’s Birthday 27 Autumn: Harvest Fstival 28 Autumn: Jake’s Birthday

Move Over, Harvest Goddess! The Harvest King Beckons...

Those of us who played Harvest Moon Cute on the DS have a passing acquaintance with the Harvest King, but it is in Animal Parade that we actually are given an opportunity to interact with him. In fact, if you play the game as a girl, you actually (Be still, my heart, be still!) can court and MARRY...

The Value of Accessories in Sunshine Islands

The Small Harvest Goddess Earrings, for example, restores 1 point of Stamina every half hour. The Medium Harvest Goddess Earrings do the same in half the time. The Large Harvest Goddess Pendant restores 1 point of Stamina every 3 minutes. If that sounds good to you, reflect for a moment on the...

Making Rare Items in Harvest Moon and Sunshine Islands

It makes me sad to think of all the people who never even heard of 'Harvest Moon' and who never played a single game... Perhaps this will change gradually and they will become as famous as any Classic in literature. They certainly deserve to be.

Mining In Sunshine Islands

Mining in Sunshine Islands requires three Farm Tools: a Hammer, Hoe and Watering Can. The Watering Can is used to melt Lava in order to clear spaces AND obtain a rather popular gift item in the form of Gelatin. This is a new option in Sunshine Islands.

History of Boats in Harvest Moon

More than one player asked me to describe Will's Ship in Sunshine Islands. I promised to make a brief video tour of his yacht. This is the result. In the process, I added footage of various boats from previous Harvest Moon games, including the mysterious boat at the pier in Mineral Town (FoMT/M...

The Harvest Goddess Festival in Sunshine Islands

One of the most beautiful traditions in Harvest Moon is the Harvest Goddess Dance, usually performed by all the Girls for the Bachelors of the village. In Sunshine Islands, it is performed at the Meadow on the occasion of the Harvest Goddess Festival on 8 Spring to mark the Birthday of the Ha...

Your Degree in Mining and Fishing in Sunshine Islands

Certainly, in Fishing, it was sheer quantity that determined my ability to catch Medium and finally Large Fish. You must do a lot of fishing and a lot of mining as well as growing and harvesting a lot of Crops in Sunshine Islands. In terms of Ranch Animals, however, it is Quality of product rath...

Comparison of Island of Happiness with Sunshine Islands

Rice, of course, requires paddy fields and you need to raise a special Rice Island in order to be able to have access to the four paddy fields in the game. Both of these games are complex, challenging and fun. Both have their unique strengths and for me, the ever-evolving universe of Harvest Mo...

Introduction to a Pig in Sunshine Islands

Sunshine Islands embroiders upon some of the themes of Magical Melody and Tree of Tranquility, two Harvest Moon console games. In Magical Melody, your character could use a Pig to search for Truffles. A Pig can perform a similar favour for you in Sunshine Islands. In Tree of Tranquility, you...

Fishing for Wood in Rune Factory

In many Harvest Moon games, you can purchase Wood/Lumber from a local merchant as well as chopping branches and stumps to create it. The price may be high, but as long as the option exists, you always can sacrifice luxuries and other purchase options in order to buy the Lumber you need for the...

Calendar for original Rune Factory DS

Summer: 1 Summer: Beaches Open 3 Summer: Jasper's Birthday (Omelet, Fried Eggs) 8 Summer: Bianca's Birthday (No Favourite Gift) 12 Summer: Cecilia's Birthday (Aquamarine, Amethyst) 13 Summer: Zavier's Birthday 18 Summer: Dairy Show 26 Summer: Treasure Hunt Autumn

New Rune Factory Characters Guide

Although the original Rune Factory DS game was released in the States a couple of years ago and my guides for the game were published then, it evidently has been released in the U.K. only recently. While players in the States ask questions about Rune Factory 2 and Rune Factory Frontier, those f...

A Perfectly Stunning and Splendid Birthday in Harvest Moon

Long ago, when I explored the Library in 'More Friends of Mineral Town', I was able to appreciate the books about Forget-Me-Not Valley because I had played 'A Wonderful Life'. HM DS and Cute DS drew upon previous games set both in Mineral Town and Forget-Me-Not Valley. Island of Happiness in...

Cooking Tricks in Harvest Moon

My own introduction to Harvest Moon came rather late in the series in the form of Friends of Mineral Town, as the first gaming system I owned was the humble GBA. One of the great delights of playing FoMT was to be able to create new variations on Recipes and to work with the values of each Dish in t...

A Note of Thanks

The irony is that I immediately experienced an Event in which I was offered my choice of kittens from two that were born of a large litter... I shut down the system without saving, simply because it reminded me of poor Beauty and her loss, but I have no doubt that I will enjoy the Event when I experi...

Pocket Baby

I am posting here because one of the fundamental aspects of any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game is caring for animals. In any other game where livestock or poultry had a defined life expectancy, I would make certain to sell the animal before I had to face a corpse or a tombstone.

New Harvest Moon and Rune Factory Cooking Site

How many times have we made Doria or Gratin in our Harvest Moon or Rune Factory kitchens without ever baking the dish in the real world? How many players even know how to make these dishes? I then thought it might be interesting to publish some 'real' Recipes for favourite Harvest Moon and Ru...

Seasonal Farming in Harvest Moon and Rune Factory

For example, in Rune Factory 2, Turnips, always designated as a Spring Crop, became a Winter Crop. Pink Turnips instead were designated as the Spring Crop. Onions, traditionally a Summer Crop, became a Spring Crop. Potatoes, always associated in Harvest Moon with Spring, became an Autumn...

Island of Happiness Farming Tip

In the photograph at the top of this post, you will see a field in IoH on 27 Summer of the first year that contains Onions, Tomatoes and Corn. The ripe Tomatoes, now at Rank A, will be left unharvested until the day of the Summer Crop Festival. Freya will not be obliged to water them again as they ha...

Island of Happiness Rival Events

I have not been able to play Island of Happiness for some time now and in fact am working on preliminary guides for 'Sunshine Islands', its sequel. Island of Happiness remains the most sophisticated and complex Harvest Moon game to date, however and I only now realised that some assumption...

First Look at Frantic Farming by Natsume

The Story Mode is based on a recurring theme in Harvest Moon (and Rune Factory). You are called upon to save your community from impending disaster. The other fundamental basis of the game is FARMING, which should come as no surprise to veterans both of Harvest Moon and Rune Factory.

Rune Factory 3

To be quite honest, I personally feel that none of the existing Rune Factory or Harvest Moon games have been exhausted. There are far too many wonderful Harvest Moon and Rune Factory games available at this point in time and too few hours in the day to enjoy them. I remember a time when the only g...

Early Equipment Choices in Rune Factory Frontier

In any RPG and Rune Factory most definitely is an RPG in this respect, your character’s choices of Weapons and Equipment can mean the difference between victory and defeat. There are many players who approach Rune Factory with experience in Harvest Moon but little knowledge of combat gam...

Fruit Trees in Rune Factory Frontier

To me, one of the irresistable charms of any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game is the often unexpected and unique methods by which items are won. Players may guess the method they need to use to bring fruit down from the fruit trees, but reading the stories in the library adds depth to the plot.

Initial Walkthrough for 1st Week in Rune Factory Frontier

As always in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game, your character will have very little money in the first week and many potential expenses. Only Crops grown in Caves/Dungeons will produce Rune Points when ready for harvest. You therefore need to create the Beanstalk to the Sky as quickly a...

Introduction to 'Covenant of the Plume', Valkyrie Profile

As a player, I generally am more attracted to Harvest Moon games now than combat role-playing games as I crave the therapeutic almost Zen-like quality of most traditional aspects of any Harvest Moon game. On the other hand, as a lifelong follower of martial arts and collector and lover of e...

First Look at Rune Factory Frontier for the Wii

Finally, a note to players, and especially beginners, not to disregard the in-game tutorials in ANY Harvest Moon/Rune Factory game. I have included a screenshot here of a page from one of the tutorial books in Rune Factory Frontier.

Preview of Rune Factory Frontier

In all honesty, my favourite game system is the DS. The fact that Rune Factory Frontier has been made for the Wii makes it less attractive to me than Rune Factory and Rune Factory 2... even so, I can't bear to ignore any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory title...

Taming Monsters in Rune Factory 2

Busy trying to solve some of the last mysteries in the 2nd Generation in Rune Factory 2, it would be easy to forget that there are players who are beginning the game and who need help with some of the early fundamental aspects of farming and ranching. As I receive many emails still from players...

The 'Wild Card' in Princess Debut

In any Harvest Moon game that has a Courtship and Marriage option, there usually is one Eligible Girl or Bachelor whose courtship is more difficult or complex than the others. For example, in Harvest Moon Cute DS, that bachelor is Skye, whose initial encounter is a 'secret' that must be unc...

Taro and the Fishing Rod in Island of Happiness

I always stress the importance of avoiding 'tunnel vision' in any Harvest Moon or Rune Factory game. Friendship, not money, is the backbone of success. If you grow and harvest all the crops in the world but fail to greet your fellow villagers, you will not succeed in any Harvest Moon or Rune Fa...

Legendary Sword and Unlocking the 4th Mine in HM DS/Cute DS

Keira is important to the plot in both games as well. If you do not meet Keira by experiencing her 1st Heart Event on the 255th floor of the 3rd Mine either in HM DS or in HM Cute DS, you will not be able to unlock the 4th Mine. One final point should be made here in view of the common error made by player...

Note about Status of Rune Factory 2 Guides

I have my own methods of writing guides and they are not foolproof by any means. Originally, I wrote a single Comprehensive Guide for a game, but then began to write little 'mini-guides' for specific aspects of the game as well. I found the little 'mini-guides' very convenient when playing a...

Trick for Initial profit in Rune Factory 2

Veteran Harvest Moon players will be aware of this trick but it may be helpful to new players. It is not limited to Rune Factory 2, but can be used in many other Harvest Moon games. I wrote about it in my General Guide for IoH as well some time ago.

Opinion: Harvest Moon or Rune Factory 2?

All Harvest Moon games have a plot and definite goals. For example, in Harvest Moon DS/Cute DS, your goal is to rescue all 101 Sprites. This is not necessary in order to enjoy the game, but it represents the same sort of 100% completion philosophy that appeals to players of Harvest Moon. You rea...

Special Birthday Gift Items for the 2nd Generation

A similar situation occurs both in Harvest Moon DS and Harvest Moon Cute DS with respect to the characters such as Kate and Hugh who become young adults in the course of the game. Their favourite items change as they become more mature.

Finding Characters during Requests in Rune Factory 2

Every character in Rune Factory 2, both in the 1st and in the 2nd Generation, has a set schedule of movements. As in any Harvest Moon game, locations may vary according to the day of the week, the time of day and the weather. I have added some of this information to my Characters Guide and intend t...

Easy Accessory Projects in Rune Factory 2

Rune Factory 2 includes all basic aspects of any Harvest Moon game such as farming, ranching, fishing, and mining as well as that of collecting items. The combat option, however, adds a new dimension to the 'collecting' aspect of the game.

When your Rucksack/Pocket is Full in Harvest Moon

In most Harvest Moon games, including Rune Factory 2, you must have empty slots in your Rucksack or Pockets if you wish to perform any activity that yields an item. Whether in Harvest Moon DS/Harvest Moon Cute DS or Rune Factory 2, if you attempt to create Seeds using a Seed Maker, you will be u...

Special Birthday Gift Items in Rune Factory 2

In most Harvest Moon games, when you give an individual any item he/she particularly likes as a birthday gift, it will be acknowledged as such and heart levels in many circumstances increase far more than they would on any other day.

Deceptive Harvest Moon Trivia Quiz

For those who are unfamiliar with the Calendar in Rune Factory 2, the Festivals that are the choices in Question 1 occur as follows: 19 Summer: Dance Festival 13 Autumn: Harvest Festival 13 Spring: Flower Festival 25 Summer: Fishing Contest

TIN WATERPOT Lesson Today, let’s start by making a TIN WATERPOT. It’ll make farming a breeze. I’m gonna tell you everything you need. First, an OLD WATERPOT. After that, it’s a cinch. Use a BRONZE. Then another BRONZE. Finally some BRONZE for the gilding and you’re done.

A 'Gift' for Harvest Moon fans...

If I were to express my 'thanks' on this day, it would be to Marvelous Interactive and Natsume for the incredible series of games that fall under the umbrella of 'Harvest Moon'... My gratitude for 10 years of fabulous interactions with the wonderful world of Harvest Moon!

Mining Festival in Rune Factory 2

Again, in my research, I discovered that 'Suki ya nen' is the equivalent in Osaka of 'Suki desu' in standard Japanese, which means 'I like him/her/it.' These phrases suggest that Yue is a merchant from Osaka or the Harvest Moon equivalent of Osaka!)

Shooting Star Festival and Last Test Marriage

Anyone who has played many Harvest Moon games will be familiar with the occasional 'Crazy Face' that an Eligible Girl or Bachelor displays from time to time. Ann had it in FoMT and MFoMT. Marlin had one in HM Cute DS. There are a few other characters who have a 'Crazy Face' that is made only under e...

A Brief Explanation about my Rune Factory 2 Guides

I am a guide writer who likes to include as much of the actual game text in my guides as possible when they deal with Harvest Moon as I love Harvest Moon dialogues and characters. I feel that the Events, even when they do not have much significance in terms of the plot, are central to enjoyment of...

'Heart Events' with Magical Girls in HM Cute DS

What this means is that you will not be able to catch a Bottled Message nor will you be able to unlock the 4th Mine. It is yet another example of the old adage: Marry in haste, repent at leisure. I always advise players to experience ALL possible Heart Events before they propose to some one and mar...

Harvest Moon Forever: Monster Levels and Prizes

As the other monsters never fought with me but only work on the farm and provide Ranch Products, 'Strength' is not earned by combat exclusively but by 'use' of the Monster and Heart Level combined somehow. The other 15 monters ALL had ...

A Game that requires a minimum of 60 hours to play

For players who grumble that games are not worth the money spent on them because they can be completed in too short a time period, I would recommend almost any Harvest Moon game, but especially Rune Factory 2. 60 hours is the minimum amount of time needed in 'real life' to complete the game. Whe...

Making Money in IoH at the start

All Harvest Moon games are most difficult when you first move into your farm. After all, the farm has been allowed to deteriorate. You arrive at your new home with no skill in Farming, Ranching, Mining or Fishing. In some cases, you are a child of an urban civilisation, who presumably spent mor...

Your Farming Degree in Island of Happiness

Players of other Harvest Moon games will be familiar with the Farming Degree. In many Harvest Moon games, including Island of Happiness, the player cannot view the actual point total although he/she can see the current Title earning on the front page of the Farm Menu.

Cheating the Grim Reaper

Life expectancy for Chickens is 4 years. It usually is one more year for Sheep and another for Cows. That would make it 5 years for Sheep and 6 years for Cows. I haven't proven that yet, but I have confirmed that the Chicken can expect only to reach her fourth birthday in peace.

Cheating Time in Harvest Moon

In any Harvest Moon game, finding the time to perform all your tasks or aims in any given day can be one of the greatest challenges. As Friendship and Courtship are important in these games, it is not farming tasks alone that require a judicious use of your time.

New Harvest Moon Festivals and Wonderfuls

For example, I was not surprised to discover a Cooking Contest in Spring but when I 'unlocked' the rice paddies and began to grow rice, a 'Rice Festival' appeared on the Calendar in Autumn. A 'Mining Festival' appeared in the second year in the Summer season.

Challenges in Island of Happiness

Without being too specific about Tree of Tranquility, the upcoming Harvest Moon game for the Wii, you will not be able to meet all the Eligible Girls/Bachelors at the start in that game either. At the very earliest, you will be able to unlock every possible character only halfway through yo...

Harvest Moon and the Environment

In some Harvest Moon games, you can pull weeds on your own land and toss them aside without incurring any penalties but in Harvest Moon DS and Cute DS, throwing even a weed onto your own field is considered littering. The Witch Princess may give you her own gift of rubbish if you toss 10 weeds, b...

All Characters Events in Cute

In Harvest Moon DS and Harvest Moon Cute DS, almost all Character Events are based on Friendship level or FP. There are events that will trigger when a character reaches 100 FP, 200 FP and 250 or 255 FP respectively. These events often have weather and seasonal requirements as well but once al...

Harvest Moon Gender Discrimination

There are those who claim Harvest Moon discriminates against women by not allowing the woman to continue her game after marriage in Harvest Moon Boy & Girl. I do not think it was a deliberate form of discrimination but probably based on a smaller allotment of time to the creation of the G...

Heart Events in Harvest Moon Boy and Girl

I nod and turn towards my chickens. Rick: Chickens love to stay outside in the sun. So cute... If I choose: They lay eggs too. Rick; Ha ha ha ha! You're too funny! I know you love chickens! He then will turn to you: Rick: Can I come to see your chickens again? See you.

Rival Heart Events in Harvest Moon Boy and Girl

For example, in Elli's 3rd Rival Heart Event, Part I occurs at the Beach, where the Doctor tells her that he feels he is ill-equipped to run the Clinic as most of the 'business' is related to childbirth. He speaks of leaving Mineral Town to study elsewhere. In Part II of this Event, you will find...